One More Day
by Avalon Storme
Summary: Cindy prayed for a miracle. She was granted twentyfour hours to spend with Jimmy before he would be taken away. Can Cindy tell him what so long she has wanted to, before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

I've decided to write another story. I really hope you enjoy it, and I would like it if you would review.

Disclaimer- I don't own Jimmy Neutron, or anything having to do with it, but this is my story.

Well, here goes, Chapter One.

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Jimmy knew something was wrong with his rocket the moment he placed himself in the driver's seat. Before he even started the ing the scientist he was, Jimmy knew that he could fix it. He pulled his small laser from his pocket, made a few adjustments to the engine, and then hopped back inside.

Still unsure if his rocket was ready for flight, Jimmy decided that he would try it anyway. After all, everything needed a test run.

"Turbines to speed!" he yelled, to no one in particular. "Here we go."

Jimmy quickly pressed the ignition key, and withing a few seconds was high above the town of Retroville.

Jimmy sighed in relief. He had perfected his new rocket. It had taken him months to build it, and he was glad that his hard work was over with. It was a large, five person, rocket, covered in shiny, red metallic paint. His insignia was painted on both sides of it in blue paint. There were three sections of the rocket. A section for pilot and co-pilot, and two other sections for everyone else. He figured that, although he had his small rocket, hover car, and the astro car, he needed a good rocket that would seat all of his friends. He had based the rocket on the astrocar's designs, but in all it was completely different.

Jimmy soared through the skpletely different.

Jimmy soared through the sky at very high speeds. He always loved flying. Jimmy was positive that he had fixed whatever problem had been interfearing with the rocket's performance, and he prepared to land. He turned the rocket back towards his house.

Just as he was about to slow down his speeds, the emergency light blinked.

"Error! Error!" screamed his rocket. "Overload. Automatic engine shutdown in three seconds."

"No. . ." said Jimmy, horror struck. He was sure that his rocket was going to crash, and he didn't have any time to prepare himself.

"Three. . ." counted down his rocket. Jimmy pulled his seatbelt tightly around himself.

"Two. . . " Jimmy prepared himself for impact.

"One. . . " The rocket's engine shut down, and began immediately plummeting towards the ground.

Jimmy thought of nothing as the rocket hit the hard ground, turned over three times, and then flung him twenty feet through the air. Jimmy opened his eyes for just a moment, only long enough to see that he had landed just in front of his house. Then, all went black.

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Cindy watched the rocket fall out of the sky, and crash into the sidewalk.

"Libby! Did you see that?" asked Cindy, horror struck. She knew that the only person in the whole town that would be flying a rocket at eight o clock in the morning was Jimmy.

Libby, who had stayed the night shook her head no.

"I think Neutron crashed his rocket." said Cindy, as calmly as she could. She also knew that Jimmy had encountered many accidents with his inventions, but for some reason, a feeling of dread washed over her, as she flew down the stairs and flung open her front door.

Cindy and Libby ran towards the scene of the accident. Smoke poured from the large rocket, and the windsheild had shattered into a million pieces. When Cindy reached the rocket, she saw no sign of Jimmy. A faint ray of hope flooded her heart, and she hoped that he had ejected himself from the rocket before impact.

In a second though, her hopes were dashed. She caught glimpse of a figure twenty feet from the rocket. She could tell, before even getting close, that it was Jimmy.

"Libby, what do we do!" she asked. Usually, she would have been the decision maker of the pair, but her brain was too clouded with thoughts of what might happen.

"We need to call an ambulance. And, we need to tell his parents." replied Libby, calmly.

"Okay. . . okay." said Cindy, breathing quickly.

Libby left her friend and hurried up the steps of Jimmy's house, and rang the doorbell. She waited for a while, and knew that his parents would have still been in bed.

Meanwhile, Cindy inched closer to Jimmy. She finally reached his body, and knealt beside it. There was blood covering his face, and she could tell that he had broken bones from the way his body was arranged on the pavement.

"Jimmy." she whispered, trying to wake him up. She checked his pulse and breathing, and was thankful that both were still going. She glanced towards the house; Libby was still trying to get an answer.

Finally, after the fifth try, the door swung open, and there stood a very groggy looking Hugh.

"Mr. Neutron! We need your help. . . Jimmy. . . he crashed his rocket. . ." she said motioning to the accident.

In a split second, Hugh grew very alert, and returned to the house to get his wife.

Libby ran in, without asking, adn dialed 911.

Cindy held Jimmy's hand and let out a sigh of relief when Hugh and Judy joined her, and told her that Libby had called an ambulance. Help was on the way.

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The only sound that could be heard in the white hospital room was the steady beat of the EKG machine, representing the rhythm of Jimmy's heart.

Cindy watched as the thin green line made its way across the screen, going up and down at a steady pace.

She was alone in the room with Jimmy. His family had already spent a number of hours fussing over him.

The ambulance had arrived less than five minutes after they'd received the call. Jimmy had immediately been taken to his own room where they performed a number of tests. In the end, Jimmy still hadn't awaken, and had been diagnosed with a concussion, a broken leg, arm, and a few cracked ribs. The doctors also said that Jimmy might not wake up for a few days, due to his concussion.

Many thoughts ran through Cindy's head, but none were more dominant than the memory of two days. She and Jimmy had had another spat.

------------------------------------_Flashback--------------------------------------------------_

_Cindy was nervous. There was no way she would be able to do it. The one thing that she had been waiting so long to do. . . and yet, it seemed impossible to her now. It had taken her weeks to get up enough courage to do it, but it was her last chance._

_"Neutron. . . " said Cindy, nervously, as she caught up with him in the halls of the school._

_"Oh, Hey Cindy, what's up?" he asked, pushing book after book into his locker._

_"You know, the big dance, it's tommorrow, I know it's late notice, but I was wondering. . ." started Cindy, but Jimmy soon interrupted._

_"Oh, yeah, I completely forgot that there was a dance Friday! I've already made plans with Sheen and Carl to stay at home and work on a few experiments. . ." he said, completely oblivious to what Cindy was getting at._

_"Fine!" screamed Cindy, ignoring the shocked look on Jimmy's face. "That's just great!"_

_"Wait, Cindy! What's the matter?" he asked, turning to her._

_"Nothing's the matter. Just, nevermind. I'll just find someone else to go to the dance with me, no problem!" she said, turning to leave the building, since the last bell had already rung._

_A look of realization spread across Jimmy's face, and he replied, _

_"Cindy, if I had known, I wouldn't have made other plans. . . " he said, still trying to figure out why she would ask him in the first place. After all, weren't they enemies?_

_"You know what, Neutron, go ahead. Go sit in your lab and make calculations all you want while the rest of the world goes on with their lives. Maybe someday, you'll actually get one! Maybe someday, when your sitting in your lab alone, you'll realize that there are other things to life than experiments, but then it'll be too late, because, by then, I'll have moved on with my life." and with that, Cindy stormed down the hallway of school. _

_Cindy didn't go to the dance with anyone else. She didn't go at all._

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That was the last time she had spoken to Jimmy since the accident. She regretted the hurtful things that she had said to him. It wasn't like she had really meant them. He had just made her so mad, and. . .

Before Cindy knew what was happening, the beeping on the EKG machine grew slower. Cindy looked around, as three nurses entered the room at fast pace, running to Jimmy's bedside.

The machine beeped slower and slower, and Cindy stayed seated. She had no idea what to do.

"I'm not sure what's happening to this kid, but his heartbeat is very irregular. We need a docctor in here, now!" yelled the head nurse, motioning to her inferior to leave.

The nurse returned a few minutes later with a young male doctor.

"His concussion is causing extreme pressure to his brain. If we don't hurry, this kid could die!" said the doctor, bringing in various items of medical equipment.

"Get that girl out of here!" he yelled, motioning to Cindy.

"No, I have to stay!" said Cindy, struggling against the two male nurses who had grabbed each of her arms to lead her out.

"You're friend's going to be fine. . . " said one of the nurses, unconvincingly, as he led her out the door into the waiting room.

Jimmy's friends and family were all seated there, waiting for any sign of progress from him.

Cindy sat on an empty chair next to Judy.

"Is my son alright?" asked Judy, looking at Cindy.

One look at the anxious face of Jimmy's mother, and Cindy broke down. She felt the tears well in her eyes as she thought of Jimmy in a room down the hall, possibly on the edge of death. Tears streamed down her face, as she made a decision. She had to see him.

Cindy stood quickly from the waiting room chair, and despite the various protests of the nurses and doctors, ran down the hallway into Jimmy's room, where the doctor's and nurses were busy at work. None of them looked up as she snuck into the room.

"He's not going to make it. . . " said the doctor, solemly. He turned his head away from Jimmy, and wiped his eyes.

Those words echoed over and over in Cindy's head. How could Jimmy die? To her, he was invincible, no matter how she treated him. She didn't care what the doctor and nurses would say or do to her, she had to see Jimmy up close, one last time before. . .

"No! He can't die." she said, pushing the nurses aside. "Can't you do something, anything to save him?" she asked, desperately.

"I'm sorry, little girl, there's nothing more we can do." the doctor said.

Cindy had never considered herself a religious person, but she knew prayer might help Jimmy.

"Please, God, I've rarely asked you for anything, but please, just let him live. I need him to live. . . " she cried, ignoring the fact that the nurses were staring at her as if she were crazy.

Cindy felt as if her prayers had been ignored, because it seemed like nothing changed.

Then, the room froze. No one moved, and the clock stoped ticking.

A vivid light spread through the hospital room, and Cindy sheilded her eyes. A man's voice came from the light, and Cindy stood amazed.

"Cindy Vortex, I have heard your request, but I am afraid that I cannot grant you what you want."

"Are you God?" she asked, in a quivering voice.

The light lessened, and Cindy could see where the voice came from. A tall, slim, gorgeous man stood in front of her. He wore a robe of pure white, and seemed to be floating in mid-air. His dark brown, almost black hair moved as if he were underwater.

"No, I am an angel. I cannot allow your friend to live, but I can give you something. I can give you twenty- four hours to spend with Mr. Neutron as you see fit. I warn you, though, to spend that day as wisely as you can. Because, no matter where you are, or what you are doing, Jimmy will be taken from you at midnight, precisely." said the angel.

Cindy stood dumbfounded, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She nodded in agreement.

One moment, she was standing in the hospital room, watching Jimmy fading away, and the next she was in her bedroom. She glanced at the clock, it was midnight. She had twenty-four hours to spend with Jimmy, and she wasn't going to waste a minute of it.

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PLEASE REVIEW!

Oh, and by the way, plese ignore any medical mistakes I have made in my writing, but I've tried to do research on concussions before writing this story, and they can cause heartbeats to slow, and swelling in the brain.


	2. Hour One Retroland

Chapter 2

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Three taps sounded on Jimmy's window. Jimmy, who was trying his best to go to sleep, faced his window, and wondered what the sound was. Jimmy heard three more knocks, and he realised that was exactly what they were. Someone was knocking on his window. Jimmy jumped up from his bed, and walked slowly to his window. Who would be visiting at twelve o' clock, and without even bothering to use the front door?

Jimmy threw open the window, and was shocked to find Cindy sitting on his roof.

"Vortex?" he asked, wiping the sleep from his eyes. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Oh. . . just thought I'd pay you a visit." Cindy, said unconvincingly. She had failed, before she left her house, to think of a plausible explanation for a midnight visit.

"Don't you realise that it's past twelve? Couldn't you think of a better time to visit?" he asked groggily.

"Sorry, I just really need to talk to you." replied Cindy.

"Fine." said Jimmy, "Hold on one second." Jimmy closed the window. He sat on his bed for a moment, to wake himself up, slipped on his shoes, and a decent pair of pants, and opened the window. Instead of inviting Cindy into his room, Jimmy led her to his clubhouse. There was no way that he would allow her into his lab, but the clubhouse was okay.

"Now, after waking me up in the middle of the night. . . what do you want to talk about?" he asked, sitting on the couch.

Cindy sighed. She hadn't prepared what she was going to say beforehand, but she had a pretty good idea of what needed to be said.

"We fight a lot." she said, simply, sitting next to him on the couch.

Jimmy nodded, still unsure of what she was talking about.

"It's mostly about dumb stuff. School, mostly. We argue all the time." she said.

"I know. . . " said Jimmy.

"I want to know why. Why are we constantly at each other's throats. I mean, it's stupid. We have no reason to hate each other. Maybe it's just that we're afraid of what everyone else thinks. Maybe we don't really hate each other as much as we let on, but we're so scared of what would happen if we didn't fight."

"What are you trying to say?" he asked.

"I don't want to fight anymore." she replied.

Jimmy thought about the simplicity of that statement, but also about the meaning of it. Had his rival just stated that she didn't want to be his rival anymore? Even for his large brain, it was a lot of information to consider.

"Really?" he asked, clearly shocked.

"Yeah. " said Cindy.

"Okay. . . so is that all you wanted to talk about?" he asked, standing up from the couch.

"Uh. . . yeah, that was it. . . " replied Cindy.

"Okay, well, I'm going back to bed." said Jimmy, opening the clubhouse door.

"Wait, a minute, Neutron." said Cindy, following him.

Jimmy turned back around and waited for her to speak.

"Since I really want to try to get along with you, can you do me a favor?" she asked.

Jimmy nodded uncertainly.

"Okay, I know this is going to sound a little crazy, but maybe we should spend a little time together. Maybe if we get to know each other, then we can get along better." she suggested, and hoped that he would buy her story.

"Sure. Tommorow, first thing." said Jimmy.

"Actually, I was thinking that we could start now." said Cindy. She only had a day to spend with him, and she didn't want to wait.

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Jimmy had no idea what had convinced him to go along with Cindy's crazy plan. Perhaps it was her eagerness, or the pleading look on Cindy's face. Either way, Jimmy went along with it. It was past twelve thirty and Jimmy and Cindy were walking. Cindy had pleaded with Jimmy to just go along with what ever she wanted to do. This scared Jimmy at first, but he was also intrigued. What was up with Cindy?

"Where are we going?" asked Jimmy, turning to look at Cindy, who was falling behind. Jimmy could tell by the look on her face that Cindy wasn't quite sure of their destination, either.

Cindy was nervous. She couldn't help it. What was she supposed to do? She was thouroughly grateful for the chance to spend time with Jimmy, but she wished that the angel had given her some sort of advice on how exactly to spend the day. Cindy thought about it for a minute, and then an idea came to her. Why not take him to some of the places that meant something to the two of them? They had created many memories throughout the years, most of them not so great, but memories all the same.

"I know where we're going, just follow me." said Cindy, running ahead of Jimmy.

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"Why are we here?" asked Jimmy.

"Well, what better a place to start our time together than here?" replied Cindy.

There they stood. They were at the metal gate of Retroland. All of the rides were shut off, and not a single sound came from the ghost-like amusement park. It wouldn't open until seven o'clock the next morning. Cindy had already taken that into consideration. They would sneak in. It was the only way they would be able to enjoy it to the fullest extint. She knew that they could go and do something else while they waited for the park to open, but what would be the fun of that? Instead they would sneak in, ride the rides, and be alone.

Jimmy could not tell what thoughts were running through Cindy's mind. Weren't they enemies? Didn't they hate each other? Where had her sudden interest in friendship come from? Jimmy wasn't complaining, though. He was a bit tired of all the fighting, anyway. But, he still did wonder about why Cindy was being so nice to him. Maybe they were growing up.

It didn't take much to get into the amusement park. Jimmy easily picked the lock on the gate. Once they were both inside, he swung the gate shut and locked it back, just in case park security came by to check everything out.

"Well, what do you want to do first?" asked Jimmy.

Cindy examined the scenes around her. It was almost creepy. All of the rides that she loved to go on were completely still. Then, she saw her first ride choice. It was a roller coaster that she and Jimmy had been on once before together. When Calamatous had tried to kill Jimmy by making a movie. Cindy smiled at the thought. Sure, they had almost been killed, but she and Jimmy had also almost kissed.

"Let's go on this one." said Cindy, simply, motioning to that ride.

Apparantly, Jimmy wasn't a very sentimental person, because he just nodded and followed her to it. Jimmy started the ride, easily, also.

They rode the ride in silence. Cindy wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. She had already told Jimmy that she didn't want to fight anymore. _I could tell him that. . . .no not right now, _thought Cindy. It wasn't time yet.

They rode on many rides. Each one of them held some sort of special meaning to Cindy. She was sure that Jimmy didn't know that, but she didn't care. She was also sure that she had plenty of fun that night. It was so exciting! There was a sense of adventure in the air, as they sat atop the farris wheel, looking out over the entire park. Everything was completely silent. Cindy couldn't help the fluttering of her heart, as she looked down from that height. Was it the fact that she was tetering so high up above the ground that made her heart soar, or was it the fact that she was sharing the moment with Jimmy? Either way, she never wanted to come down.

But, all good things must come to an end. Cindy knew that. Jimmy had programmed the ferris wheel to let them out after a certain amount of time. The ferris wheel jerked forward as it made it's way back to the ground. Cindy grabbed onto the first thing that she could reach. It just so happened that it was Jimmy's hand. She quickly let go.

She checked her watch as they made there way out of the park, making sure that all of the rides were turned off. It was two o' clock. They had spent over an hour at the park. Cindy was sad that she had already wasted that much time, but she was happy that she had spent it that way.

As they left the park, they were stopped by an officer.

"Are you kids crazy?" he asked, shining the flash light in their eyes. "What are you doing here so late at night."

"Sorry officer." said Jimmy.

Cindy could only laugh and walk away. There was no way that she would let an angry police officer ruin her day. Nothing could ruin her day except the end of it.

I know, that was a bit of a fluffy chapter, but we can all use a bit of fluff every once in a while. Hope you liked it. please review!


	3. The Candy Bar

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. It really means a lot to me that you review. Anyway, away from the sappy stuff, here's the next chapter.

HOURS THREE THROUGH FIVE

Jimmy wished that he had the ability to read minds. Sure, he had the technology to do that, but he also knew what had happened the last time that he experimented with that branch of science. Still, he wished more than anything that he could tell what was going through Cindy's head. Jimmy had to admit it, he had fun at Retroland. He had enjoyed all of the rides, and knew that the visit to the amusement park was only made better by Cindy.

It surprized him greatly that he was getting along with her so well. It was as if something had changed, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was as if Cindy knew some deep dark secret, but was refusing to share it with him. That didn't really hurt his feelings one bit. After all, they had never been that close before, and he wasn't going to ruin it by asking questions.

"Where are we going now, Vortex?" he asked, as they walked down the street. Calling her by her last name seemed a little strange to him, foreign to his mouth. It hit him how rude it must sound. But, he was a guy, he was allowed to be that way.

Many places stuck out in Cindy's mind. All of them held a special meaning to her. First of all, there was the school. That was where they spent most of their time together, and that was where they had their best arguments. But, what could they do there? How would Cindy explain to Jimmy why they were at the school? The most dominant place in her mind, though, was the Candy Bar. That was a very special place to both of them.

They'd had many of their best arguments there-most about stuff Cindy didn't even remember. That made her smile. But, it also made her sad to think about all of the time they'd wasted by arguing. There were a few other memories that stuck out in her mind that occured in the Candy Bar. There was the time when she had been sitting there with Libby, discussing the perfect guy, when Jimmy had burst in and professed his love for her. Of course, that had only been because of the effects of a love potion. That didn't mean that Cindy hadn't enjoyed that day. She had loved every minute of it. Because, just for a little time, she thought that Jimmy actually cared about her.

Then, there was the time when they'd almost kissed. When they'd returned from competing on an intergalactic gameshow. She'd really wanted to kiss him then, and she was sure that he had wanted to kiss her too. But, it never happened. It was strange how her life seemed to work out that way. Everytime that she and Jimmy got close to one another, something would pull them apart.

To the Candy Bar they went. It was closed. Cindy had expected that. But, they'd already preformed one act of breaking and entering that morning, so another was no problem.

"Cindy, are you completely nuts?" asked Jimmy, fighting back a yawn. He knew it had to be at least two thirty in the morning.

"There's a reason for my madness. . ." said Cindy, rolling her eyes. She felt around frantically to find the light switch, because it was completely dark in the Candy Bar.

"We can't turn on the lights, someone will find us." said Jimmy, wondering why he didn't want to be found.

Cindy knew he was right. But, what would they do? Just sit in the darkness? That's exactly what they did. Cindy and Jimmy took their usual seats and sat in silence.

"What are we doing here?" asked Jimmy, in a whisper.

"I don't know, I just thought we could come in and sit a little while." replied Cindy.

"Okay. . ." said Jimmy, sceptically. He shifted in his seat, and a sharp pain shot through him. He winced, and Cindy noticed. She had to admit that it worried her. The angel had told her that Jimmy would be taken from her no matter what. It didn't matter where they were. At twelve, he was gone. What if it would be a slow process? Instead of dying in a hospital bed, as he were supposed to, what if Jimmy slowly faded throughout the day. Cindy knew she was probably being paranoid.

Jimmy didn't know what was the matter with him. Perhaps it was just the fact that he was very tired. He found it hard to breath, and it hurt when he moved. But, then it would pass over. It came in waves. Jimmy just brushed it off and acreditted it to lack of sleep.

"You know, this place brings back alot of memories." said Cindy.

"I guess so."

"Like that after we were on Intergalactic Showdown. When, we were in the booth, and then. . . you know what, nevermind." said Cindy, glancing down.

"Go on." said Jimmy.

"That day, I just want you to know that, I really wanted to kiss you." she said. It took all of the guts that she had, but she had at least taken a small step.

Jimmy didn't know what to say. They sat there for a long time in silence.

After a while, Jimmy knew what he needed to say.

"The truth is, Cindy," he said, carefully, "I really wanted to kiss you too."

But, when he looked over, Cindy was already asleep, head resting on the table. Jimmy shrugged and sighed. Maybe it was better that she hadn't heard. He knew that he couldn't just leave her there and go home, and he knew that it would be a pain to wake her up. Instead, he just told himself that he would rest his eyes for few moments, and wait for Cindy to wake up.

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Cindy had tried her best to stay awake. One moment she was pouring her heart out to Jimmy and the next she was waking up to sunlight coming through the window. She opened her eyes and realised that she had fell asleep in the Candy Bar. She sat up quickly and realised that she had been resting her head on Jimmy's shoulder. It was a good thing that he hadn't awoke yet, or that would have been embarrasing.

"Cindy, you're such and idiot. . ." she told herself. She glanced at her watch. It was seven-o-clock! She had wasted her precious hours. She began to prod Jimmy awake, but was stopped by a light flooding the room. She could tell, even before she could see him, that the angel was paying her another visit.

"Cindy, you are doing a good job at spending your last day with Jimmy." said the angel, stepping out of the light. "But, I must warn you, your time is running out. As I said before, at midnight he will be taken from you. If there is anything that you wish to do before the end of the day, I advise you to do it as soon as possible. That may be hard for you, I know, but you've had a long time to tell Jimmy what you need to. Now, a time limit has been set."

"But why? Why does he have to go? What did he ever do to deserve this?" she asked.

"You may come to find in your lifetime that no one ever deserves the pain that they must endure. Then again, if not for the hardships and pains that this world has to offer, you would not enjoy the better times as much." said the angel.

Cindy was about to ask the angel more of the questions that were flooding her mind, but before she could speak, the angel stepped back into the light and dissapeared.

She knew he was right. If she hadn't been given a deadline to tell Jimmy how she felt, then she would have never gotten up the courage to do it.

"Jimmy, wake up." she said, gently shaking him.

She was going to tell him before the day was over. That was what she swore to herself as they left the Candy Bar, and headed down the street to their next destination.

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	4. The Park, the movies, and a breakdown

**Thank you for all of the reviews. The idea for this next chapter was given to me by one of my reviewers( actually, I had already planned on doing a chapter similar to this one, but I wasn't sure where exactly I was going to put it in the story) anyway, thanks. By the way, I'm sorry I haven't been able to update sooner. But, nine weeks tests were last week, so I didn't have any time.**

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Cindy could already tell that it was going to be a beautiful day. The birds were chirping in response to the brilliant sunrise. There was barely a cloud in the sky, and the ones that were floating slowly in front of the sun provided the perfect amount of shade. A slight breeze russled the top of Cindy's hair as she and Jimmy made their way down the empty road.

"Okay, where to next?" asked Jimmy.

"Well, I thought we could go somewhere that we could actually have fun." she said, but would reveal no more.

They strolled slowly down the street, enjoying the wonderful morning. Eventually, they came to the large brass sign pointing out the entrance to the park. There were already a few people in the park. A small family throwing a frisbee for their dog. Children playing in the sandbox. A teenage couple walking hand in hand down the small trail that led through the park.

"So, what do you want to do first?" asked Cindy, glancing around.

"Cindy, are you sure that you want to spend the day here?" asked Jimmy, unsure of what exactly they were going to do.

"Sure, why not, Neutron?" she asked.

They walked behind the teenage couple. Cindy made sure that she stood at least three feet away from Jimmy. Every now and then the couple in front of them would kiss, and they continually held hands. Cindy couldn't think of a more embarrasing thing for she and Jimmy to witness together.

Within a few minutes, they came to a large green park bench.

"You want to sit down for a minute?" asked Jimmy. Cindy could tell that something was wrong with him. He was breathing heavily even though they had been walking at a comfortable pace, and not even for that long.

"Are you okay?" she asked, as she sat next to him on the bench.

"I'm fine," he replied, unconvincingly. In reality, he was worried. What was wrong with him? He'd felt that way since the night before.

"Are you sure, cause we could go see a doctor. . ." said Cindy, worridly. Allthough she knew he would have to be taken from her that day, she didn't want it to be any sooner than needed.

"I'm okay, let's just go somewhere else." replied Jimmy. He wasn't really comfortable watching the many young couples who were sharing the park with them.

"Alright, but I don't know where we can go next. You have any ideas?" asked Cindy. She had really wanted to spend more time at the park, but she didn't want Jimmy to feel uncomfortable.

They stood up and began to make their way out of the park when they were met by a familiar pair.

"Cindy?" said Libby. "And Jimmy? What are you guys doing here?"

"Yeah, especially together." added Sheen, standing next to Libby.

"Well, you see. . ." started Jimmy, but he could think of nothing to say.

"I thought we were supposed to go shopping today. . .what happened?" asked Libby. Cindy had completely forgotten. She and Libby were going to go to a sale at the mall. Cindy had been so wrapped up with making the day special, she had forgotten her previous plans.

"Well, you don't seem to be having a bad time," noted Cindy. A guilty look spread across Libby's face.

"After you didn't come by my house this morning, Sheen came over. We decided that it was a nice day, so we came here. We were about to catch a movie, wanna come?" asked Libby.

Cindy shot a grateful look to her best friend. Libby had helped her, even if she didn't know it. Cindy had no idea where she and Jimmy were going to go after the park, but the movies seemed like a good idea. It would give her a chance to spend time with him without much awkwardness. They wouldn't have to talk during the movie.

"Sure, what are we going to see?" asked Cindy.

"Sheen wanted to go watch the new Ultra Lord movie," said Libby, in dismay. Truthfully, she didn't mind going to see it. She found Sheen's obsession interesting.

Cindy didn't really want to see the movie. But she agreed to go anyway.

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They stood in line for half an hour before getting tickets.

"I told you we should have called earlier and reserved tickets, " said Libby, giving Sheen an evil look.

"That extra half an hour gave me time to prepare for the movie," said Sheen.

Libby didn't want to know how.

Cindy glanced at Jimmy as they took their seats. Sheen sat near the aisle, Libby next to him, Cindy next to her, and Jimmy at the end. Cindy considered taking Jimmy's hand, but she knew that would be extremely awkward. After all, it wasn't a date. They weren't a couple. Cindy had to keep reminding herself of that fact. No matter how much she wished that it weren't true, she had to face the fact. She was not Jimmy's girlfriend. They were not on a date.

Cindy hated it. She hated that she and Jimmy weren't together. Why weren't they? There had been so many opportunities for the beginning of a relationship. Had she just been to stubborn? Had she let the perfect moments slip by as she and Jimmy spent their precious time arguing. Cindy hated the situation. She hated the fact that Jimmy was going to be ripped from her grasp, and that they were wasting their time at the theater. She hated that she had been so stupid and arrogant. And she hated herself for beign that way.

Cindy ran from the theatre. She found herself sitting on a chair in the lobby, with tears streaming down her face.

Out of all the things that Cindy hated, the one thing that she loathed the most of all was the fact that she loved Jimmy. She loved him, and he was going to be taken from her. And there was nothing she could do about it.

**How was that? Please reivew!**


	5. School and a Surprize

**Thanks for all the reviews- I really appreciate them. Sorry it's been a while since I've written, I've just been really busy this week( It's spring break) Anyway, here goes!**

"What's wrong with her?" asked Jimmy, as he glanced over at Libby. Libby shrugged and said that she would check on Cindy.

"I'll go with you," replied Jimmy. He had no idea what was going on. One minute, Cindy was waiting for the movie to begin, and the next she was tearing out of the theater. Had he done something wrong? If he had, then he would fix it.

Sheen ignored Libby and Jimmy as they walked from the theater; he was far too engrossed in the movie to care what was going on in reality.

They found Cindy in the lobby sitting one a red chair. She was crying her eyes out, and didn't even notice when they sat down next to her.

"Cindy, are you okay?" asked Libby, placing her hand on her best friend's shoulder.

Cindy looked up. Her eyes were rimmed with red.

"I'm fine," she said.

Libby gave her a dubious look; she didn't believe Cindy for a second.

"Then why are you crying?" asked Jimmy.

Cindy gave him a look as if she had just noticed that he was there.

"Please, just leave me alone." she said to Jimmy.

Jimmy shrugged and stood up. He gave her one last apprehensive look before walking back into the theater.

"Okay, now that he's gone, you can tell me what's the matter," said Libby, sternly.

Cindy sighed. "I was just thinking about all of the time Neutron and I have wasted fighting. . . and. . "

"Oh," was the only thing Libby said in reply.

"And, I don't know, maybe I'm just tired of all this competition, and maybe I. . . I don't know." said Cindy. She did know. She just didn't want to say it aloud.

"You want to be friends with him?" asked Libby.

"Yeah, I guess so. . ." said Cindy.

"Well, that's easy, just tell him that." replied Libby.

"Thanks, Libs, you helped a lot," said Cindy. She then told Libby to go back and watch the movie, and that she would be there in a moment.

Allthough Cindy had told Libby that she had helped, she hadn't. Cindy had already told Jimmy that she wanted to be friends. And that wasn't exactly what she wanted, anyway. Cindy sighed once more and walked back into the theater to watch the movie.

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"That movie was awesome!" exclaimed Sheen.

"I have to admit," said Libby, "it was pretty good."

"Come on, guys, those special effects were so fake," said Jimmy.

Cindy didn't say anything.

"Sheen and I were going to head over to the Candy Bar, why don't you guys join us," said Libby.

"No thanks, Libby." said Cindy, before Jimmy had a chance to speak. "We had other plans."

"Suit yourself," said Libby. She and Sheen made their way towards the Candy Bar, leaving Cindy and Jimmy alone outside the theater.

"Where are we going now?" asked Jimmy.

Cindy knew exactly where. It was somewhere that she had counted on going all along, she just didn't know when. Now was the perfect time.

"Follow me."

The school was locked, of course. Even though it was day time, it was still the weekend.

"What are we doing here?" asked Jimmy.

Cindy rolled her eyes. Did he have to ask that question every time?

This time, though, they didn't have to break in. Cindy just payed the janitor a few bucks to let them in. They promised him that they weren't there to vandalize the school. The janitor just shrugged. What did he care anyway?

The entered the gym. It was dark, so Cindy had to fumble a while before she found the light switch.

Apparantly the janitor hadn't done his job in the gym yet. Remnats from the dance were littered everywhere. Deflated balloons and sad-looking streamers filled the floor. A banner hung over the stage, displaying the theme- A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.

Too bad Cindy didn't go. As she glanced around, she could tell that it had been a great dance. But knowing that, she also knew that she wouldn't have had any fun without Jimmy as her date.

"What happened here?" asked Jimmy.

"There was a dance, remember." said Cindy harshly. Even though she was trying hard to be nicer to Jimmy, she was still a bit angry at him for blowing her off.

"Oh yeah. . . "Jimmy trailed off.

"Looks like they had fun," said Cindy.

"What do you mean 'they'? Didn't you go?"asked Jimmy.

Cindy thought about lying to him and telling him that she had had an awesome time and using the word 'they' had only been a slip of the tounge. But she decided against it and shrugged.

"Look, Cindy, I'm really sorry that I didn't take you to the dance." said Jimmy. Cindy could tell that he really meant it.

"It's okay, you were busy," replied Cindy.

"Yeah," said Jimmy, and he looked away.

"You said that you were staying in your lab to do some work. Did you lie to me?" asked Cindy.

"Well, I just didn't know what else to say. . . " said Jimmy.

Cindy was furious. At first she had been mad at him for choosing science over her, but now she was mad at him for choosing doing nothing over her.

"So, what was it then? Did you just not want to come to the dance with me? Is that it? Were you afraid that you would hurt my feelings by rejecting me? I'm a big girl, Neutron, I can handle myself, and I think it was really mean of you to. . . " but Cindy didn't get to finish. She was stopped by Jimmy grabbing her suddenly and placing a kiss on her lips.

"What the heck was that!" asked Cindy. She was in complete shock.

"You wouldn't shut up." replied Jimmy. "It was the only way I could get you to stop talking."

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Yeah, I know the end of that chapter was a bit cliche'd but I thought it was cute. Anyway, please reivew!


	6. The Dance

**Thanks for the reviews. There aren't that many chapters left, just two or three. So, hang on! The end is near! I would have updated sooner, but I was on a trip. My FBLA went to the state capital (Jackson, Mississippi) for a conference for three days, so I was really busy.**

Why had he done it? The last time Jimmy had checked, he was still in his right mind. Why, then had he kissed Cindy? It wasn't as if he'd planned it. He certainly hadn't expected it. It wasn't exactly horrible-he just didn't know what to do next.

He and Cindy stood for a minute in complete silence. What were they supposed to say? A momentous thing had just happened. And, they had no idea what to do next.

"So, then. . . ." started Cindy. She didn't know what else would be appropriate to say.

Jimmy didn't say anything for a minute. A look that said he was deep in thought spread across his face. After a minute, though, he did speak.

"Cindy, I just want you to know that I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done that." said Jimmy, looking her directly in the eyes.

Cindy's heart plummeted into her stomach. What was he saying? He hadn't wanted to kiss her. He had only done it as a spur of the moment thing, and it hadn't really meant anything at all. Was that what he was trying to tell her?

"Oh, well. . . .no problem." said Cindy at last.

Jimmy let out a sigh of relief. "Good, then, I thought that you might be mad at me."

"I mean," said Cindy, "It's not that I wanted you to kiss me, because I didn't."

Jimmy looked startled, then a look that told Cindy that he finally got it spread across his face.

"Cindy, is there something that you need to tell me?" asked Jimmy.

"Like what?" asked Cindy, looking at her feet.

Jimmy looked as if he wanted to say something, because he opened his mouth for a moment, and then quickly snapped it shut. Then, he seemed to think of something better to say.

"Cindy, I just want you to know that I really am sorry that I didn't take you to the dance." said Jimmy.

"It's forgotten." she replied.

"So, " said Jimmy, glancing around the littered gym, "Do you want to dance?"

"What, do you mean right hear? And now?" asked Cindy.

"Why not?" asked Jimmy.

"For one thing, we don't have any music." she said.

"Sure we do," said Jimmy, strolling towards the large CD player. He didn't have much hope that there would be any good music nearby, but there just so happened to be a large collection of music to choose from.

He chose a CD that fit his interests best, allthough he had never been a music lover.

Cindy felt her heart beating increasingly faster. She had no idea what was going on. First, he'd kissed her. Then, he'd apologized. And now, they were going to dance. What type of warped reality had she wandered into? Besides, Cindy thought it very odd that there just happened to be a few CD's lying around. Surely, who'd ever supplied the music for the dance wouldn't have forgotten to take their discs.

Jimmy led her to the dance floor. Cindy could tell that he was nervous by the way that he carried himself. She could also tell by the clumsy way he walked to the dance floor that he didn't have much experience dancing.

Truthfully, she didn't care if Jimmy had about as much grace as a blind chicken. She was just glad to be where she was- in a place and situation that she had hoped many times would happen. That she had secretly wished would come true. She to fight back the urge to laugh at Jimmy's dancing. His feet went all over the place, and he couldn't find exactly where to put his hands. Still, she didn't care.

The song slowed gradually, until it morphed into a beautiful ballad of unrequited love. Cindy couldn't help but smile now. She didn't know where that moment in time would lead them to. Would they go on with their lives and pretend that nothing had happened? Or would something evolve out of the magical moment? Then, with the searing intensity of a white-hot lighting rod, Cindy was struck with the terrible truth- this would be their last day together. Nothing would be able to evolve out of that day. Because, at the strike of midnight, Jimmy would be gone forever.

Cindy felt like Cinderella. Instead of turning back into a homely young girl with a pumpkin and a hand full of mice, something much worse would happen. Her prince would not find her glass slipper and return it to her-and he would not refuse to marry any girl in the whole country exept the owner of the shoe. She and her prince would not fall in love, and defy all logic by living happily ever after. Her prince was going to die.

Cindy looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was seven o' clock. Only five more hours left. She knew that that amount of time would have drug by any other day, but she could already tell that it would speed by at the pace of a freight train.

She had to do it-she had no other choice. She was running low on time.

"Jimmy," she said, looking him square in the eye, "I have something really important to say to you."

Jimmy glanced at her curiously and waited for her to continue.

"I'd like to tell you a whole lot of stuff-like how I really am sorry for wasting all that time fighting. Or how, I really was impressed with all of your inventions. Or. . . well, like I said, I would really like to tell you a lot of stuff, but I'm not sure there's much time." said Cindy, immediately regretting her last words.

"What do you mean, not much time?" he asked.

"Nevermind that," replied Cindy, eager to get to the point. "I just want you to listen to one thing that I have to say. Please, don't interrupt me, just listen."

Jimmy nodded.

"I know that over these past years, we've fought a lot. And I know that most of it was just playful, but, I'd really like you to know that. . . " started Cindy, but she stopped.

Something was wrong. Terrible wrong. Jimmy still looked at her, but his gaze was faraway. He stood, hovering for a minute, and then grabbed his side in anguish. He gasped and then collapsed on the floor.

"Jimmy!" said Cindy, shaking him vigorously. It wasn't fair. There she'd been, moments away from saying something she'd been preparing for for years. Life was cruel.

Cindy pulled out her cell phone, dialed 911, and explained the situation. She whipped her cell back into her pocket and sat down on the floor next to Jimmy. He was still breathing, and she felt a pulse. She didn't know what was wrong with him. All that she knew was that whatever it was, it was going to claim his life in a matter of hours.

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**REVIEW!**


	7. Confession

**Sorry that it's taken so long. I had yet another three day trip to Jackson, this time with TSA. So, anyway, here it is- a new chapter.**

Cindy walked briskly from one end of the hall to the other. She paced feverently, knawing on her fingernails. She was beyond anxious to know what type of illness would claim Jimmy's life ina matter of hours.

The ambulance had arrived within minutes of Cindy's phone call. They'd taken Jimmy immediately to the hospital and peformed a number of tests to diagnose him.

His parents were in the room with him at the moment. Cindy desperately wanted to be in the room also, but she knew that his family needed to spend some time with him.

"Cindy!" she heard a familliar voice say. She turned to see Libby getting off the elevator with Sheen and Carl trailing behind her.

"We heard what happened, Cindy, do they know anything yet?" asked LIbby.

"I don't know, Libs, I just wish I knew something."

Libby patted her reassuringly on the shoulder.

A nurse walked out of Jimmy's room and Cindy looked at her, desperate for information.

"He's asking for a Cindy, is that you?" asked the nurse, looking at her.

Cindy nodded and went into the room without another word.

"Hi," she said. She didn't know what else to say. Jimmy's parents were still in the room, so she couldn't very well tell him what she needed to.

Apparantley, Jimmy's mother picked up the vibe because a moment later, she drug her husband out of the room, saying that she needed to get some fresh air.

"Hey, Cindy," said Jimmy, who was sitting up in bed. Cindy could hardly bare to look at him. Despite the fact that he'd only been in the hospital for about an hour, he already had dark circled under his eyes and looked extremely tired.

Cindy smiled warily and sat down in the chair next to Jimmy's bed. This was going to be extremely hard, she knew that. She also knew that it needed to be done.

"So, um, how are you feeling?"asked Cindy. She already found it hard to choke back tears, and she had barely said a word.

"Fine."said Jimmy, "I'm feeling much better."

Cindy knew he was lying. She could see it in his eyes. She could tell that somehow he knew that he wasn't going to make it through the night. His expression resembled that of a soldier going into a battle that he knew he was going to lose, but was going to take as many of the enemy down with him as he could.

Cindy wished she knew just what Jimmy's enemy was. But, she dared not ask, it wasn't a very appropriate question for the moment.

"They don't know what's wrong with me." said Jimmy.

Cindy looked up, shocked that he'd been able to tell what was on her mind.

"They don't? I mean, they have to have some sort of idea. . . "

"The doctors told me that it was something they'd never seen before-and they don't know how bad it is, or even how to cure it." replied Jimmy.

Cindy's throat tightened, and a hard knot formed. She swallowed, but couldn't get rid of it. Cindy could almost see the pain behind Jimmy's eyes. She could also see his resistance to it-his will to live. Knowing that his will to live was not strong enough to fight whatever enemy was taking hold of him, knowing that he would be gone from her in a matter of hours, only made matters worse. If there had been some spark of hope left inside her, Cindy would be able to pull herself together, but she knew what would ultimately happen.

Cindy turned her face away. She couldn't face Jimmy any longer. She knew that if she continued to look at him, she would cry.

"So, Neutron, I bet this isn't how you expected to spend your weekend, huh?" she asked. She had meant for it to sound playful, almost sarcastic, but instead, it had come out in a small choked whisper.

Jimmy didn't speak.

Cindy turned back to face him, partly to see why he wasn't talking, but also to work up enough courage to do what she had to.

"So, have you invented anything new lately?" she asked, knowing that Jimmy would never give up the opportunity to brag about his genius, no matter how dire the circumstances were.

"Well, I am working on a new upgrade for Goddard- it'll make him much more adaptable to his environment. . . " Jimmy continued to ramble on about the exact procedure of installing the new technology.

Cindy was, in part listening. She loved to hear him speak with such enthusiasm about something so. . . well, nerdy. A normal guy would talk about a car or a girl with the same look in his eyes that Jimmy possesed while speaking about science.

Jimmy finished up what he was saying, and waited for Cindy to comment. But, instead of asking a question about what he'd just told her, Cindy told Jimmy that she had to leave for a few minutes, and would be right back.

Cindy made her way to the girls' room. She didn't know exactly why she was going there, or even why she had left the room, but she knew that she couldn't just sit there, by Jimmy's side and pretend that everything was going to be peachy keen.

Cindy found the women's restroom, went in, but didn't enter a stall. Instead, she looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. She didn't know exactly what she would find in her reflection, but she was desperate. There had to be some way or another to save Jimmy.

"Hello Cynthia," she heard a familliar angellic voice say.

"Oh, it's you." she said, turning around.

The angel stood, with his wings spread out.

"Don't sound so glad to see me" said the angel.

"Wow, that was almost funny, I didn't know that angels had a sense of humor."

"You'd be surprized," replied the celestial being.

"So, are you here for any particular reason, or are you just going to add more to my already horrible day?" asked Cindy. She was in a foul mood. After all, angels were supposed to be beings of comfort and hope, not death.

"Cindy, I've just come to warn you that you only have two hours left. I'm sorry that they have to be spent in a hospital, but if Jimmy had been taken from you suddenly, rather than over a period of hours, you would have never gotten around to doing what you need to do before time runs out."

Cindy opened her mouth to protest, but she knew he was right. She didn't even know if she could bring up the courage even now, at the end of Jimmy's short life.

She simply nodded and watched as the angel faded away.

Cindy would have gone directly back to Jimmy's room, but the sound of Mrs. Neutron's crying stopped her in her tracks. She turned and walked towards the waiting area instead.

"Mrs. Neutron, it's okay. Everything's going to be alright." said Cindy, taking a seat next to Judy.

Jimmy's mother stopped crying long enough to glance at her.

Cindy felt terrible for filling Judy with false hope, but if she'd told her otherwise, things would be much worse.

11:53. That's what the digital clock next to Jimmy's bed said. Only seven minutes.

Cindy had spent the last couple of hours sitting next to Jimmy, listening to him talk about more of his inventions.

She could tell that he was getting weaker. He would begin one story, and then trail off for a few minutes. Jimmy would then look at her as if he'd just realised that she was sitting there, and would either begin his story anew or start telling another one.

Cindy listened intently. She laughed at all the right parts of the anicdotes, and gave sympathetic looks at other times. Most of the time, she would have hated Jimmy for bragging so much, but now, she drank in each word he spoke. She realized that he had a right to brag. He had accomplished very much for the small amount of time that he'd been on Earth.

Jimmy was quiet a moment, and then looked Cindy squarely in the eye.

"Cindy, can I ask you a question?" he said.

"Sure," replied Cindy, fully alert and aware that it would be an important question.

"What do you think happens after you die?" he asked.

Cindy stalled for a moment. She didn't know quite how to answer that question. It was one that she'd only been asked before, during one of the few times that she had attended church.

"Jimmy, I don't think that I'm the right person to answer that question. . . " she said.

"It's just that, I've always been a scientist. I've always only believed in things that I can actually see. It just seems small minded to believe in something that can't be proven with facts and figures."

Cindy thought about it a moment. It was true, it was hard to believe in something never viewed before. But, wasn't the wind invisible also? The only reason that humankind aknowledges its existence is from the impact it has on their lives. If the invisible wind exists, then why couldn't God?

But, Cindy had seen proof. She'd come face to face with an angel! How could that possible be proven by scientists?

"Jimmy, it doesn't matter what I believe," she replied, "all that matters is what you think."

Jimmy nodded. A look of confusion spread across his face, but then it was met with a look of satisfaction and relief.

Cindy could tell that something had changed. She didn't know exactly what it was, but it was something great.

11:56. Only four minutes.

"Jimmy, we really need to talk," said Cindy

"Okay," replied Jimmy, both weakly and uncertainly.

"I really don't want to alarm you, but I have something very important to say, something that you need to hear right now." said Cindy.

Jimmy nodded and waited for her to continue.

"You could say that our relationship is a hard one to describe. I mean, we're definitely not friends, but not enemies either. Sure, you get on my nerves a lot with all your bragging and showcasing, I mean, do you really need to tell everyone at least fifty times a day that you're the smartest kid in the world? Anyway, I'm getting a little off subject. . . "

11:57.

"Cindy, does your little speech have any other point other than to make me feel bad?" asked Jimmy.

"Actually, it does, just bare with me." she replied, sounding a little more frustrated than she had meant to.

Cindy sighed and looked at the floor.

"Okay, what I guess what I'm trying to say is that, well, I. . . ". Cindy grimaced as a nurse walked into the room. Fate was a cruel thing to her at the moment. Each time that she tried to do as the angel had told her to do, she was interrupted. It was almost as if part of the forces of the universe were for her, and the other half was against.

"I'm sorry, kids, but I have to get a blood sample," said the nurse.

Cindy tried her hardest to smile as the nurse took her time taking the cap off the needle and making sure that it was positioned just right before actually drawing the blood.

11;59.

The nurse was gone, but Cindy's task still lay ahead. She had to tell Jimmy in the mext minute or she would have to face the rest of her life knowing that Jimmy had died without knowing.

"Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it, " said Cindy, taking a deep breath.

"I. . . well, what I'm trying to say is. . . .IthinkIloveyou." Cindy spat out the last part so fast she wasm't sure if Jimmy had umderstand what she'd said."

Jimmy's face was emotionless for a minute. Cindy didn't know if that was a good thing or not. But then, a look of absolute horror spread across his face, and Cindy was almost positive that it had nothing to do with her confession.

The EKG machine went wild. It beeped faster and faster as a whole team of nurses and doctors raced into the room.

"Get that kid out of here," said a doctor.

Cindy felt that she had experienced this all before.

Just as she was pushed from the room, the monitor gave one last set of erratic beeps and then went flat.

12:00.

**I know what you're all thinking- bad ending to a chapter. Just hold on, there's one more chapter left. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but be patient! Oh, and please review.**


	8. The End and a Beginning

**Well, here it is. . . the last chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Please review.**

Cindy didn't know how the bomb squad could handle it. Each time they were faced with a life or death decision, they thought out the process and proceded with caution. They were given a time limit- shown in most cases, brightly on the outside of the explosive. Cindy had also been given a timer. The minutes until Jimmy's death had been burned into her brain since finding out that she only had twenty-four hours left with him.

Time had run out. The bright-red digital numbers in her mind had ticked down to zero. The bomb had went off, and she hadn't been able to stop it before it exploded. But, really, what could she have done? She wasn't in control of Jimmy's life. Cindy knew that, if it was his time to go, then it was. It was as simple as that. No amount of wishing could change that. No groveling and begging could revert time. She'd already been given longer than she was supposed to have been given. She'd had a last day in order to do what she needed to do and say what she'd needed to say.

She had done what she'd needed to. She and Jimmy had spent the entire day going places that held a special place in her heart. At first, Cindy hadn't known how exactly she would spend the day. But, she had no regrets about what she had ended up doing. She and Jimmy had gone to just about every place that she held dear, and that was enough for her.

She'd also said what she'd needed to. It wasn't exactly when or how she had planned to, but Cindy had revealed her feelings for Jimmy. She didn't know if he felt the same way, and truthfully, she never would. But, she did know that he died knowing that she loved him. That was also enough for her.

Or was it? Despite the fact that Cindy knew that she'd been given more time than she'd earned, Cindy felt that she deserved more. She'd told him that she loved him. She'd taken him to so many great places. What else was there? What was missing? What would feel the dark hole that seemed to be spreading from her heart to her mind, faster than poison?

Cindy knew exactly what it was. Jimmy was gone. It wasn't that she didn't know that it wasn't going to happen- she'd been plenty warned. She just hadn't expected him to actually be gone. She would never see him again. She would never call him another mean name, all in the name of fun. She would never grow up and marry the boy next door, as she'd planned to do all along, despite how she'd teased him.

Cindy looked up. She was standing outside of the hospital room. It was twelve o' clock, the time she'd been anticipating. She saw and felt it as Jimmy's parents rushed past her into the room. She saw Carl, Sheen, and Libby sitting in the lobby, glancing nervously towards the room. Carl was sitting by himself, obviously singing a song to calm his nerves. Libby and Sheen were side by side, hand in hand. Cindy could clearly see the tears streaming down Libby's face as Sheen wiped them away, as he tried to hold back his own.

Cindy could see and hear everything that was going on around her. But, it didn't seem real. Something wasn't right. Cindy witnessed those scenes for a moment more before it finally clicked. She knew what she needed to do.

"Take me." she said, quietly at first. Then louder, " Take me instead!"

Libby, Sheen, and Carl looked her way and knew that something was wrong.

"Please, just let him live. Take me instead. He has so much to live for." said Cindy, sitting on the hospital floor, back against the wall.

Her eyes filled with tears, and then she felt them streaming down her face. The room stayed the same for a moment more before it filled with a brilliant light and time seemed to freeze in place.

Cindy looked up. She could see the angel as he stepped out of the light.

He smiled. "Cynthia, you are a tough one." he said, looking at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, standing up.

"You would really sacrifice yourself for him? You would give up your own life to save his?" he asked.

"Yes, I would." replied Cindy, her face like stone.

"Life is so fragile, don't you think?" asked the angel. "People of this world are so caught up in wordly things to pay attention to the greater things of life. You, for instance, were so focused on your achievements to realize how short of a time you actually have. You let your will to be number one cloud your mind. You were not able to see what was in front of you all along." said the angel.

"I know that, but I can't do anything about it now." said Cindy.

"You are not only tough, you are wise beyond your years. Maybe to wise. I think that maybe you should stop focusing so much on growing up, and instead enjoy the here and now. After all, one day you may be here, and the next you may not. You never know. Life has a funny way of doing that."

"Doing what?" asked Cindy.

"Ending." said the angel, with another knowing smile.

Cindy nodded.

"It is time for me to leave you now." said the angel, suddenly.

"Are you taking him?" she asked, looking at him nervously.

"No. And, I'm not taking you, either." he replied.

"Is it because I said that I would take his place instead?" asked Cindy, genuinely confused.

"No. It's because this is what God planned on happening in the first place. When are you going to realize that you are not the only one who wishes that you strive in everything you do? God wants you to do your best in life, and He let this all happen to show you what you were missing."

Cindy thought about it for a moment before coming to the conclusion that the angel was right.

"What was I missing?" she asked, looking at the angel as he faded.

"God isn't going to do all the work. You have to figure that one out yourself." he said, fading into the light.

Cindy awoke to the sound of chirping birds. She looked at the clock; it was seven.

She sat up in bed. Cindy's mind filled with images of what she thought was the previous night. The last thing that she remembered was a bright flash of light. What had happened? Was Jimmy okay?

Cindy flung herself out of bed and threw on clean clothes. Cindy ran down stairs and threw open the door. She was on Jimmy's porch before she knew that she'd even ran across the street.

Cindy rang the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to answer.

Luckily, neither Judy nor Hugh answered the door. Jimmy gave her a confused look as he answered the door.

"Cindy, what's wrong? What are you doing here?" he asked, yawning.

"What day is it?" she asked.

"It's Thursday, why?" he replied.

Cindy couldn't believe it. It was as if the past few days hadn't happened. She remembered them so vividly, though!

Cindy knew what she had to do.

"Jimmy, you know that there's a dance tommorrow." she started.

"Oh yeah. . . I forgot about that. I'm just going to stay at home and. . . "

"Do you want to go with me?" she asked, before he got a chance to finish his sentence.

"Um. . . Cindy, are you feeling okay?" he asked, giving her a worried look.

"I'm fine, Neutron, just answer the question!" she snapped.

"Sure, I'll go with you. Okay. . . " he said.

"Good. Okay, then. I'll see you at school." she said, crossing the street and entering her house.

She glanced out the window and smiled as Jimmy gave one last bewildered look before closing the front door.

The past few days played over in her mind. She'd been faced with a horrible situation, but she'd come through it. She had actually told Jimmy that she loved him. And, if she'd done it once, why couldn't she do it again? Cindy smiled once more as she headed up to her room to get her backpack. As she looked out of her bedroom window, at Jimmy's house, the angel's last words came back to her. _God isn't going to do all the work. You have to figure that one out yourself. _Before, she hadn't known what was missing from her life. But, as she watched Jimmy exit his house and walk down the street towards school, she knew just what it was.

For the first time in her short life, Cindy wasn't going to plan for the future. She was going to take life day by day, and enjoy the here and now. She would just have to wait and see what happened next.

**Well, there it was. Not much of an ending, I know, but oh well, I liked it. Please Review!**


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